Watch The Challenge: ETA

The Challenge: ETA is a gripping six-episode documentary available on Amazon Prime Video. The series delves deeply into the Basque separatist group ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna), one of Europe's oldest and most violent militant groups, which operated in Spain and France for over 50 years, until they finally announced the dissolution of the group in 2018.

The series is directed and produced by the renowned director, Jon Sistiaga, a Spanish journalist who has been covering the Basque conflict for more than 20 years. In this documentary, he provides a unique and intimate insight into ETA, its origins, its violent tactics, and its ongoing legacy in Basque society. The series features exclusive interviews with former ETA members, politicians, journalists, and victims of terrorism.

The first episode opens up with a brief introduction to the Basque separatist movement, tracing its roots from the Franco dictatorship era to the formation of ETA in 1959. It provides a detailed analysis of the reasons behind the group's formation and how it became a symbol of Basque resistance. The documentary highlights how ETA's violent tactics like bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings disgraced the Basque separatist movement with its indiscriminate attacks on both civilians and military targets.

The series moves on to illustrate how ETA terrorized Basque society in the 1980s and 1990s, bombing popular tourist spots and political gatherings. It explores the group's internal divisions, where moderate members tried to push for political negotiations, and hard-liners pushed for the continuation of its campaign for independence. Throughout the documentary, Sistiaga shows how these factionalism and power struggles destabilized ETA, leading to the group's weakening over the years.

The Challenge: ETA also explores the efforts by the Spanish government to combat the group and bring an end to its violent activities. The documentary details how different governments enforced a series of tough measures, including arrests, trials, and international cooperation, to dismantle ETA's military structure. The Spanish Civil Guard and intelligence agencies played a significant role in ETA's demise, while hundreds of individuals, both public figures and civilians, fell victim to ETA's violent attacks.

The series also reveals the personal stories of victims of ETA, including those who were killed in its attacks and the relatives who experienced their loved ones' loss firsthand. The interviews with survivors and family members provides a moving insight into their lives, the harrowing pain they suffered, and how they dealt with the aftermath of those tragic events.

The final two episodes of the series focus on ETA's historical announcement of the end of its violent campaign, the repercussions of the decision, and the group's unilateral disarmament. The documentary details how the Spanish government and politicians had to grapple with the question of what to do with ETA prisoners. Some considered releasing prisoners to encourage reconciliation, while others wanted them to serve out their lengthy sentences.

In conclusion, The Challenge: ETA is a fascinating, intense, and insightful documentary that delivers on multiple fronts. It explores the intricacy of ETA's history in an objective way and highlights the importance of the fight against terrorism. It's a detailed and well-rounded account of the Basque separatist conflict, full of personal stories from different perspectives. The documentary is a must-watch for anyone interested in the politics and history of Spain and a great addition to the collection of Amazon Prime Video originals.

The Challenge: ETA is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (8 episodes). The series first aired on October 29, 2020.